Your First Shostakovich Record

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Fifth Symphony, Philidelphians/Ormandy/CBS. Bought from Boots in Blackburn the Saturday following the broadcast of Music from the Flames just after DSCH had died.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The Ancerl no.5 was my first one too, though I really wanted the more expensive Bernstein.

[visualnickmos]

Symphony no 12, CfP, (LP) with I think, Geoges Pretre, and I think, the Philharmonia.... but this was a present from a close family friend; my first actual purchase was Decca's (LP) of symphony no 8 with Haitink.

[Nick Armstrong]

I discovered DSCH (and so much else) thanks to a wondrously well-stocked Public record library

Yes me too - pretty amazing. The Midlands in the 70s were pretty unappealing in many ways, but in Nottingham Public Library, as you say, were lots of Melodiya LPs and also lots of scores - I can recall now the frisson of taking the full score of DSCH15 off the shelf and taking it home - and this was only three or four years after the piece was written.

[Pulcinella]

Symphony 6, but LP bought originally for the coupling: Stravinsky Four Norwegian Moods!
Instantly impressed by the Shostakovich (a new discovery).

[umslopogaas]

Hmm ... like several other posters, an early buy was the Supraphon symphony no. 5 conducted by Ancerl, but I think the first ever DSCH LP was symphony no. 10 on CBS, conducted by Ormandy. I cant remember the dates of purchase, but I've still got both of them.

A later purchase, but a most treasured one (apologies, I think I've posted this before) is the Melodiya LP of the symphony no. 15, signed on the front cover by the composer. The dealer I bought it from for a couple of quid must have thought it was part of the artwork, but its not, its a biro scrawl and its definitely his signature, I've seen reproductions of several other examples. He visited the UK just after the LP was issued and only shortly before he died, and no doubt was often asked to sign copies.

[gurnemanz]

Yet another Ancerl Fifth on MFP - it must have been a very good seller. It was either that or the Bernstein Piano Concerto 2 + Ravel on CBS - a disc I loved and played a lot and don't think ever appeared on CD, in that combination, at least.

[Barbirollians]

Cello Concerto No. 1 and Symphony No. 1 (Rostropovich/Philadelphia Orchestra/Ormandy).

Snap

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Symphony no 12, CfP, (LP) with I think, Geoges Pretre, and I think, the Philharmonia

http://www.discogs.com/Shostakovitch-Georges-Prêtre-Philharmonia-Orchestra-Symphony-No-12-The-Year-1917-Festival-Overture/release/4856712

I think that this was the first recording of Music by Shostakovich I ever heard - it was part of the School Music Dept record library.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Yet another Ancerl Fifth on MFP - it must have been a very good seller.

It must. I knew several people who bought it, following good reviews.

I've just realised that any DSCH purchase I've made has included the 5th Symphony:
Ancerl (mfp)
Maxim Shostakovich, in the Melodiya/EMI LP box set
VPO/Solti on CD
Haitink in the Decca CD box set.

[Lordgeous]

As a schoolboy, 5th Symphony, Bernstein, NYP (on LP). Still love it!

[Bryn]

The Ancerl no.5 was my first one too, though I really wanted the more expensive Bernstein.

Luckily, you made the right choice.

[Flosshilde]

The complete quartets, played by the Shostakovitch Quartet (Regis), after a concert by the Brodsky Quartet during their residency in Glasgow a few years ago. I was given a free ticket, & I was so 'blown away' by the music that I was extremely cross with myself that I hadn't taken up the offer of tickets to all the concerts.

I've since bought (a year ago) the 10th symphony conducted by Rattle, & recently the BBC Music Mag cover CD of the 5th, but I haven't really listened to them properly - I think that it might just be the quartets that rock my boat.

[Bryn]

The complete quartets, played by the Shostakovitch Quartet (Regis), after a concert by the Brodsky Quartet during their residency in Glasgow a few years ago. I was given a free ticket, & I was so 'blown away' by the music that I was extremely cross with myself that I hadn't taken up the offer of tickets to all the concerts.

I've since bought (a year ago) the 10th symphony conducted by Rattle, & recently the BBC Music Mag cover CD of the 5th, but I haven't really listened to them properly - I think that it might just be the quartets that rock my boat.

If no others, do investigate the 4th and 15th Symphonies. Mind you, after them I would expect you to want to get to know the rest.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I have an old book my parents gave me in the 1960s - The Music Lover's Pocket Book, published in 1956. Shostakovich's are listed: 1-3, 5-11.
No. 4 was "withdrawn by composer" at the time. It was rather like Spycatcher and Satanic Verses . I wanted to hear this work, simply because it had been withdrawn. I wasn't disappointed.